Mark of Death, Kiss of Life
by angelrider13
Summary: Kiba's childhood friend, Sky, has a secret, one that is slowly killing her. When the secret comes out, how will everyone react? Will Kiba be able to save her before her time expires?
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first Naruto fic. I actually wrote it like 3 years ago but never got around to posting it for whatever reason...oh well. **

**Anywho, please enjoy! ^^**

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><p>Sky laughed as she ran down the hall, her waist-length charcoal black hair flowing behind her and her honey colored eyes sparkling with joy. She turned a sharp corner, giggling when she heard the giant white dog chasing her stumble.<p>

"Come on! You can do better than that, Akamaru!"

She received a playful growl in response. Sky loved playing with Akamaru. She had grown up with Kiba and known Akamaru since he was a pup. She was currently playing tag with him, running through the halls on the upper level of Kiba's house. Obviously, Akamaru was it. She rounded another corner, getting ready to run down the stairs, only to see Kiba coming up them.

"Kiba!"

He looked up, surprised. Sky tried to stop, but she was already at the edge of the stairs, and she slipped. Akamaru grabbed the edge of her shirt in his teeth to try and stop her, but she was moving too fast and the cloth ripped. She fell into Kiba and they both tumbled down the stairs. Instinctively, Kiba wrapped his arms around her waist.

Kiba landed on his back with a thud, Sky on his chest. She pulled back a little to look at his face. Their eyes locked and a second later, they were both laughing hysterically.

"S-sorry." She managed to gasp out between laughs. When their laughter died down, Kiba smirked up at her. "I think Akamaru won." He said.

Sky pouted. "What makes you say that?"

Kiba moved his hands up from her waist to her sides, tugging at the torn fabric of her shirt. Sky sighed dramatically. "Fine. Akamaru wins." Akamaru walked over and licked her cheek. Kiba laughed as he stared to sit up, his arms still around Sky's waist.

He paused as he felt the skin on Sky's side rapidly grow cold. Sky winced, her face contorting in pain.

_Not now…_

Kiba sat up. "Sky, what's wrong" Did you hurt yourself when you fell?" He moved his hand away from the bare skin on side where her shirt was torn. His eyes widened at the sight of a pulsing black mark on her side. It was a small black ring with a black, seven pointed star in the center. The mark had, what looked like, tentacles branching off the ring that seemed to weave in and out of the skin.

Sky noticed what he was looking at and yanked out of his hold, covering the mark with her hand. Kiba stared, eyes wide. Akamaru whimpered. "Sky, is that…a curse mark?" Sky looked at him, horrified, eyes wide in pain, before bolting out of the house.

"Sky!"

~*x*~

Sky jumped from rooftop to rooftop, toward the Hokage's mansion. She kept her hand pressed to her side, her breathing labored. When she reached her destination, she slipped through an open window, slowly making her way down the hall, using one hand to brace herself against the wall. When she reached the Hokage's office, she knocked weakly on the door.

"Come in!"

Sky opened the door to see Sakura, Saskue, and Naruto standing in front of Tsunade's desk, giving a mission report. The four turned to her as she leaned against the doorframe, panting. "Tsunade-sama…" she took a step only to have her body pitch forward. Saskue caught her and gently lowered her to the floor. Naruto and Sakura rushed to her side, worry evident on their faces.

"Sky, what happened?" cried Naruto. "Are you sick?"

Saskue gripped her tightly, his way of showing concern for their childhood friend. Tsunade stood and made her way over to the four, her face serious. "Sakura. You know what this is. Get her file." Sakura nodded and dashed out the door, closing it behind her. "Naruto, close the blinds."

"But-"

"DO IT!"

Naruto jumped up and started to close the blinds. Tsunade turned to Saskue. "You're going to have to hold her still." Saskue nodded and lay Sky down so that her head was in his lap. Tsunade knelt down next to her and used a narrow stream of chakra to cut away the lower half of her shirt, revealing her stomach. Saskue's eye's widened. "Is that…"

"It is." Tsunade replied. "But it's a little different than yours."

"Tsunade…" Sky's weak voice caught their attention and the two turned back to her. Tsunade formed a series of hand signs before placing both of her palms on top of the mark. A pale green glow surrounded her hands. Sky squirmed, but Saskue held her steady. Naruto reappeared next to him, a worried expression on his face.

After a few minutes, the green glow faded and Tsunade drew back. Sky relaxed and slowly opened her eyes. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade gave her a small smile. "You can thank me after I've cured you." Sky gave her a tired smile in response.

"Sky…" She looked up at Saskue. "When did you get…"

"The curse mark?" He nodded. "Three years ago."

"That's the year you had your S-rank mission." Naruto said solemnly. Sky nodded. "What happened?"

"It's an S-rank mission, Naruto." Sky looked over at Tsunade. "It's classified."

Saskue and Naruto looked at Tsunade. "Come on, Granny Tsunade! Tell us what happened!" Naruto was serious. Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed. "It was Orochimaru." She said softly. Everything in the room seemed to freeze at the name. Sky stared blankly at the ceiling as Tsunade continued. "Sky was sent on a mission to gather information on his activities. He had been acting up a lot and we wanted to know why. She came back alive, but…." Tsunade trailed off.

Naruto frowned. "But what?"

"I'm slowly dying." Naruto and Saskue looked down at Sky, eyes wide. "I wasn't privileged enough for him to flat out kill me or for him to give me the kind of mark you have, Saskue." She said, her gaze still locked on the ceiling. "But I was interesting enough to become one of his little experiments. His curse mark is slowly killing me." Everyone was silent. The tension in the air was thick; you could cut it with a knife. Naruto clenched his fists and growled, "Can't you do something, Granny Tsunade?"

Tsunade sighed. "I've been trying. Sakura, Shizune, and I have been trying to find a way to remove the mark for the past three years."

"And?"

Tsunade shook her head. At that moment, Sakura walked back in, a red folder in her hands. "Tsunade-shishou, here's the file." Tsunade took the folder from her and started skimming its contents. Sky slowly sat up, her muscles stiff. Tsunade closed the folder, a solemn look on her face. Sky closed her eyes. "Not long, is it?" she asked.

"No."

"How much time?"

"At most….five months."

A sad smile made its way to her lips. "Huh. That's more time than I expected." Naruto was shocked. He stared at Tsunade. "In five months, Sky is gonna…die?"

"Yes, you idiot." Saskue growled. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder. "Sky?" she asked. Sky nodded. Sakura grabbed her arms and helped her stand. Tsunade stood and looked at the boys. "The information about Sky's condition stays in this room, understand? The only one outside this room who knows is Shizune." Naruto and Saskue nodded as the stood.

"Actually…" Tsunade turned to Sky. "I think Kiba saw the mark." Tsunade stared at her as she explained what happened at his house. When she finished, Tsunade sighed. "Well you have two choices." She said. "You tell him or you don't. I leave the decision up to you."

~*x*~

A week later, Sky sat on a bench in the park watching the clouds. She'd been avoiding Kiba since the incident at his house. She didn't want to tell him, but she didn't have time to beat around the bush. So she called them to her favorite park. A cold, wet nose nudged her knee and she looked down. She smiled. "Hey, Akamaru." She pet his head. "I missed you guys."

"Then why have you been avoiding us?"

Sky looked away from Akamaru and saw Kiba standing a few feet away. She looked away. "I was scared." Kiba raised an eyebrow. She pat the space on the bench next to her, and he walked over and sat down. "You saw it the other day, right?" Kiba shot her a look. She lifted up the side of her shirt, revealing the curse mark to him. "My mark." Akamaru whimpered and placed his head on her thigh. Sky stroked his fur, soothing him. She took a deep breath; she owed Kiba an explanation. She told him as much as she could about her S-rank mission three years ago. When she finished, she sighed, resting her head on Kiba's shoulder.

"And?" Sky looked up. "You wouldn't just tell me that. There's a reason."

Sky smiled sadly. "You know me so well." She looked at her hands in her lap, silent. Kiba, seeing something was bothering her, placed his hand over hers. "Hey, you can tell me." He said softly. She flashed him a weak smile and took a deep breath. She had to tell him.

"When the mark completely covers my body…I'll disappear."

Kiba stiffened. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, not entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"I'll…die."

Silence. Kiba stared at her, eyes wide in shock. Akamaru sat in front of Sky, watching her in confusion. Receiving no response, she continued, eyes downcast, hands clenched tightly in her lap. "Tsunade-sama has given me about five months until…" she trailed off. Looking up, she forced a smile. "That's all!" She said in a falsely cheerful tone. She got up and started to walk away; she couldn't look at Kiba anymore, she didn't want to see the shock or hurt in his eyes.

She was stopped when a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She felt Kiba's warm breath on the back of her neck. Finding her voice, she whispered, "Could you not tell anyone? Only five other people know. I don't want it to be common knowledge." His arms tightened around her and she gasped, finding it harder to breath. "Is that all you're thinking about? Keeping it a secret?" Sky stayed silent. Kiba spun her around to face him. "Well?" His gaze was hard; she couldn't look him in the eye. He gripped her shoulders tightly. Sky leaned forward some so that her head rested on his chest.

"No…" she whispered softly. Kiba relaxed his grip. "I think about everything else all the time." Sky looked up to meet his eyes. "How can you even ask if I don't think about it?" Without even realizing it, she had started crying. "I'm leaving everyone behind. I'm leaving you behind. I know that I'm dying Kiba. Do you know what it's like to walk around knowing you have time limit?" Kiba shook his head, a worried and guilty expression on his face. Sky had completely pulled herself out of his hold, holding his eyes with her teary gaze. "It's scary Kiba." Sky looked at the ground. "I don't want to die."

After a moment of hesitation, Kiba stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. She reacted instantly, her hands clutching the back of his jacket, burying her face in his chest. She cried silently while Kiba stroked her hair, soothing her.

"If I hadn't seen the mark, would you have told me?" he asked softly when Sky had calmed down.

"I don't know." She replied, her voice slightly muffled by his jacket. "To be honest, I didn't know how to tell you."

"Is this why you've been retired from missions?"

Sky nodded. "Using chakra makes the mark spread faster. And Tsunade-sama wanted me nearby; she's been trying to find a cure."

"Who else knows?" Kiba asked.

"Shizune, Sakura, Naruto, and Saskue. Naruto and Saskue found out last week by accident. Everyone else has known since it happened."

Kiba sighed. "This is why you're at my house all the time, isn't it?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper.

Sky nodded. "I think the only reason I go to my house is to shower, sleep, and change clothes." She sighed. "It's really quiet at home." She said softly, her voice laced with loneliness.

Sky's parents had died ten years ago when she was only eight. She had no siblings, so she lived alone. In her situation, Kiba wasn't at all surprised that she avoided her house. "Then why don't you move in with us?" Akamaru jumped up and barked his approval, wagging his tail enthusiastically. Kiba knew his mom and sister wouldn't mind. Sky had been his best friend since they were four. When her parents died, his mom took care of her.

Sky pulled away to look at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. You know Mom sees you as a second daughter. She wouldn't mind. And Hana would be thrilled." Sky threw her arms around his neck, making him stumble back a step. "Thank you!" she exclaimed.

Kiba smiled and took her hand. "Come on. Let's go get your stuff."

~*x*~

"I'm home!"

Hana walked around the corner. "Kiba? Where have you been? Oh, hi Sky" Sky smiled and waved. "I've been helping Sky pack." Kiba replied.

"Pack?" Hana asked raising an eyebrow. She looked at Sky and noticed she held a suitcase before looking back a Kiba, a questioning look on her face.

"She's moving in with us." Kiba said, answering his sister's silent question.

Hana's lips curved into a grin the covered her whole face, a childish gleam shinning in her eyes. "Yes!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down like a little girl before rushing forward and glomping Sky. Sky laughed as Kiba watched the whole exchange, smiling. Akamaru tugged Sky's suitcase from her hands and gave it to Kiba. "Come on, sis. Let her breath!" he said seriously, though the laugh in his voice ruined the effect. Hana pouted and, reluctantly, let go of Sky. "You can hug her later; she lives here now." Kiba continued.

Hana clapped. "I can't wait to tell Mom!"

Kiba rolled his eyes at his sister, a smile on his lips. He reached out and took Sky's hand. "Come on, Sky. Let's go put your stuff in your room." Sky followed Kiba and Akamaru upstairs, Hana's call that dinner would be ready soon following them up.

~*x*~

Another week went by, and Sky quickly adjusted to her new home. It was morning and she walked downstairs in a skin-tight, long sleeve, black shirt with a turquoise blue tunic over top and a pair of black pants. She glanced at the thermometer and frowned slightly at the warm temperature it displayed. She sighed mentally over her decision to use clothes to hide how far her mark had spread, knowledge that, besides her, only Tsunade knew.

She walked into the kitchen and looked through the pantries. Finally settling on something, she grabbed the ingredients she needed and started cooking. A little later, Kiba and Akamaru shuffled in, following their noses into the kitchen. Kiba thumped down heavily on a chair wearing only a simple T-shirt and shorts.

"Goo' Mornin'." He yawned.

Sky smiled and placed a plate of pancakes in front of him and Akamaru. They both perked up slightly at the sight of food; Kiba staring at the stack of pancakes. "How long have you been up?" She shrugged. "About an hour, I guess." She turned back to the stove. "Do you guys want and bacon?"

"Uh…sure?" Kiba said, still a little surprised that Sky had made breakfast.

Sky pulled a pack of bacon out of the fridge and started frying it up, while Kiba and Akamaru started attacking the pancakes. A few minutes later, Hana walked in and smiled. "Awwwww, Sky! You made breakfast!"

"Yep! I'll make more because Kiba and Akamaru ate all of it already didn't they?"

Hana rolled her eyes. "I don't think I have to answer that question."

"Hey, we were hungry and you weren't here." Kiba said defensively.

"That doesn't mean you can eat it all!" Hana exclaimed, glaring at her brother.

"First come, first served!"

Sky laughed as she place a plate of bacon and another plate of pancakes on the table. She turned off the stove and put the pans in the sink before sitting down next to Kiba at the table, where she saw that the boys had pretty much devoured the first plate of food.

"I take it you like it." Sky said, a small smile on her face.

Kiba nodded as Hana started eating. "It's delicious, Sky." Hana said. The four ate breakfast slowly, enjoying each others company. Their conversation only being interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"I'm home!"

"Sounds like Mom's back from her mission."

Hana's statement was confirmed when Tsume walked into the kitchen. "Something smells good. Is there any left or did Kiba eat it all?"

"Hey!"

"Tsume-san!" Sky threw herself at her adoptive mother, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Sky! What are you doing here so early?" Tsume asked, surprised, returning Sky's hug with just as much enthusiasm.

Hana smiled at her mother. "She's living with us now."

Tsume's lips curved up in a grin. "Really? What made you change your mind?"

Kiba glanced at Sky from the corner of his eye, wondering how she would answer. His mom had offered to let Sky move in many time before, but Sky had always turned her down, saying she had to take care of her parents' house. Sky smiled, though Kiba could tell it was slightly forced. "It was just really quite there." She said softly. "And I practically lived here anyway, so, why not?" she asked her voice taking on a more cheerful tone. Kiba released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He wasn't sure how his mom would react if she found out about Sky's condition.

Tsume merely smiled at Sky's response and ruffled her hair. "Well then, welcome home, kid."

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><p><strong>So there's the first chapter! Love it? Hate it? Let me know!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! Woot!**

Two months passed and Sky and Kiba had become inseparable; they did everything together. When their friends learned that Sky had moved in with Kiba, the girls flipped out while most of the guys smirked and clapped Kiba on the shoulder congratulating him. Ino started hammering Sky with questions, most of which were completely inappropriate and were denied immediately. Sakura then told Ino to shut up, which, of course, ignited an argument between the two.

At that moment, Kiba's squad was running a training exercise, while Sky leaned against a tree outside the training grounds, waiting. She wore long, black pants and a long sleeve, skin-tight, black shirt. A sleeveless gray hoody covered her torso and ended at mid-thigh. She wore a black glove on her left hand and a mask, similar to Kakshi's, covered her face. Her mark had spread in the past two months; she'd started wearing the mask about three days ago and would no longer eat in front of others.

"Sky!" Sky turned in the direction the call came from just in time to see Akamaru jump down with Kiba on his back. "Have you been waiting long?" he asked.

Sky smiled through her mask, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Yes! I've been waiting for hours!" she cried dramatically, "But I couldn't help it! I was so worried about Akamaru!" Sky threw her arms around said dog's neck and kissed his nose. Akamaru barked happily and waged his tail.

Kiba pouted. "That's mean!"

Sky rolled her eyes, biting back a laugh, as she continued to play along. "I'm sorry!" she cried with feigned distress, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" She wrapped her arms around Kiba's neck and gave him a quick peck on the lips through her mask. Kiba blushed, making Sky laugh, her mask hiding her own blush.

"Sky is that you?"

Sky turned as Kiba climbed off Akamaru. "Hinata! Shino!" Sky glomped Hinata, making the shy girl laugh softly, before giving the same treatment to Shino, who, shockingly, hugged back. "What are you guys doing here?" Sky asked.

"They wanted to ask if you wanted to go to Ichiraku's with us for lunch." Kiba said.

Sky paused. "Well…I already ate, so I'm not that hungry…but can I still come?"

Hinata smiled. "Sure!"

The five, including Akamaru, set off and had reached their destination, when Naruto flew passed them landed flat on his back.

"N-naruto-kun!" Hinata called. Sky looked into the ramen shop to see Saskue and Sakura. Sakura's hand was in a fist and she was sending death glares in Naruto's direction. Kiba rolled his eyes. "Naruto, you dumbass, what'd you do now?"

"Well he-"

"Sai, shut the hell up!" Sakura yelled, silencing the boy. Sky looked back into the shop to see Sai had been standing behind Sakura and, thus, was hidden from her view. Sky knew who Sai was, but she wasn't really familiar with him. They had never actually talked. Ignoring him for the moment, she walked over to Sakura as Hinata and Shino went to aid Naruto. Sky placed a hand on her shoulder, making the fuming girl turn to her.

"Maybe we shouldn't destroy the village. Ne, Sakura?"

Sakura frowned at her mask. "Sky…"

"Yes?" she asked innocently.

"…Nevermind."

Knowing what was on her mind, Sky hugged her and kissed her cheek, silently communicating that she was okay. When she pulled back, she noticed Saskue eying her. She walked over to him and pecked him on the cheek, reassuring him as well. Used to such interactions with Sky, the two didn't really react to her show of familiarity. Sai, however, was Sai.

"Are you a threesome?"

Dead silence. Sakura and Saskue stared at him with expressions of horror (Well, Saskue's expression was more like surprise, he only raised his eyebrows.). Kiba and Naruto's mouths hung open. Hinata' cheeks were covered by a crimson blush. And Shino…well, was Shino.

Sky stared at Sai for a moment before she burst out laughing. She braced herself with one hand on Saskue's shoulder while she held her stomach with the other. Sai simply looked at her, surprised. Her reaction wasn't what he had expected; she didn't yell at him or try to hit him. When she calmed down, she walked over to him and placed a hand on her shoulder. He cocked his head to the side, his eyes full of confusion, while hers danced with laughter.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced." She said, the smile on her lips visible through her mask. She stood on her tip-toes and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. Everyone stared at her, surprised by her actions (Then again, they weren't entirely unexpected.), as she pulled back. "Nice to meet you, Sai." She said, her voice light.

Sai blinked. "Umm…"

Sky giggled. "My name is Sky."

"…Hello?"

Sky giggled again before retreating to sit next to Akamaru on the floor, stroking her canine friend's fur. Kiba started laughing. "I don't think he was expecting that, Sky." She shrugged, smiling, as she watched Sai's bewildered expression.

Naruto knelt down next to her. "Ne, ne, Sky. Why are you wearing a mask like Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura promptly hit him in the back of the head. "Owwwww…Sakura-chan…"

"Idiot." She huffed.

Naruto's eyes widened as everything clicked. He frowned. Sky smiled at him, a sad gleam in her eyes. "I just felt like it."

"Anyways," Kiba said, redirecting the conversation, "Let's eat." Everyone, except Sky, ordered some food. Sky sat between Sai and Kiba, watching everyone eat as they all talked. When they finished, everyone split up to do their own thing after they paid the bill. Sai watched as Sky, Kiba, and Akamaru headed off toward the park. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed them. Sky was hiding something, and he wanted to know what. When they reached the park, Sky sat under a tree as Kiba and Akamaru went to get her an ice cream cone. They knew she was hungry and had been lying to Hinata. After the pair had run off, Sky's honey colored eyes locked onto Sai and he knew he was caught. He jumped down and sat next to her under the tree.

"You knew I was there even though I was masking my presence." He said.

"Just because I don't wear a headband, doesn't mean I'm not a shinobi." She reached into her hoody and pulled out the Konoha headband she always carried with her.

"Why don't you wear it?" Sai asked.

Sky sighed regretfully. "I'm retired."

"You're not even twenty." He deadpanned.

She looked up, watching the leave blow in the breeze. "It's complicated." She said softly.

"Does it have anything to do with what's under your mask?"

Sky smirked mentally, the kid was good, as she reached up and traced her jaw line, feeling the fabric of her mask rather than her skin. Sai watched her intently.

"Sai? What the hell are you doing here?"

Kiba and Akamaru were back, the former holding a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone in his hand. Sky jumped up.

"Yay! Ice cream!" Kiba held the cone away from her before she could grab it. "Aww! I want ice cream!" she whined.

"Later. First, what is Sai doing here?"

"He followed us." Sky said, still trying to get the ice cream.

Kiba frowned. "Why?" he asked, keeping the cone out of Sky's reach.

"I'm interesting."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Are you now?"

"Yes. Yes I am." Sky said matter-of-factly. She turned back to Sai, who had been silently watching them the whole time. "We have to go now Sai. I'll see you later." She waved to them before the three of them took off through the trees. Sky snatched the ice cream cone as she passed Kiba, sending him a smirk. "Mine." She said before pulling down her mask and licking the frozen treat. Kiba watched her, his eyes lingering on the distinct black mark on her chin.

~*x*~

A month later, Sky was hanging out with Neji, Lee, and Tenten. She couldn't use jutsu but that didn't mean she couldn't train; she had trained a lot with Lee over the past three years and she had found that he was a pretty good teacher when it came to taijutsu, whether he meant to be or not. As she sparred with him and Neji, she struggled to gain the upper-hand as they double teamed her.

She had successfully blocked Lee's kick and dodged Neji's strike, when Hinata appeared next to Tenten. The trio paused at her sudden appearance and walked over to her. Hinata bent over, bracing her hands on her knees and she struggled to catch her breath. Concerned, Neji put a hand on her shoulder. She jerked up at the contact.

"Are you okay?" Tenten asked.

The younger girl nodded as she straightened, accepting the water bottle Lee offered her. She took a long drink before turning to Sky, her eyes somewhat panicked. "Hana's back from her mission. "She said. Hinata paused and took a deep breath. "She's…in the hospital."

Sky's water bottle slipped through her fingers. "She's what?" she managed to ask, her voice coming out as a harsh whisper. Hana had left on an S-rank mission about two weeks ago. It was a highly classified mission that had been assigned to her and Tsume.

"She got back to the village about eighteen hours ago." Hinata continued, her voice getting softer as she want on. "She's lost a lot of blood. They've managed to heal her body, but…she's in a coma. They …they don't think she'll wake up."

Sky stared at her, body frozen. So that's where Kiba and Akamaru had vanished to; they hadn't even told her. Fury boiled in her blood. How dare they! How dare they keep something like this from her! She didn't even wave goodbye before running off to the hospital. She ran through the doors, following Hana's weak, but stable, chakra signature; ignoring the nurses' calls as she ran through the halls. When she reached Hana's room, she threw open the door and stormed in, quickly zeroing in on Kiba, she spun him around, grabbing the collar of his jacket.

"So I'm not important enough to tell, huh? Is that it? I'm not really family, so I get to find out through gossip! I get to be the last to find out! Is that how it works?" Sky stopped when she saw the tears streaming down Kiba's cheeks. She immediately calmed down and her expression softened as she slowly, gently, released him. They stared at each other silently for a moment, as she became dimly aware of the beeping of a heart monitor somewhere in the background, before Sky reached up and brushed away his tears with her fingertips. He leaned into her touch as the two silently apologized to each other.

Sky looked around the room; Tsume stood by the bed while Akamaru lay on the floor next to it. Slowly, scared of what she might see, Sky let her eyes drift toward the figure in the bed. Her breath caught in her throat when see saw Hanna lying unconscious, an oxygen mask covering her face. An IV drip and several other needles where stuck in her arm and she was hooked up to a monitor that kept track of her heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity. Sky slowly walked over to her, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of the older girl's face when she got there. She looked up at Tsume. The woman acknowledged her presence with a nod before turning her attention back to her daughter. She wasn't crying and she hid the pain Sky knew she was feeling behind a mask.

While Hana wasn't biologically her sister, Sky considered her one. Losing her wasn't an option. She shot Kiba a look and their eyes locked; Kiba raised his eyebrows at the apologetic look in her eyes. She gave him a small smile before turning back to Hana and taking a deep breath. Both Tsume and Kiba jumped slightly when they sensed the sudden spike in her chakra.

She formed a series of handsigns, placing the two forefingers of her right hand on Hana's forehead, while the gloved forefingers of her left hand were pressed to her own. Softly, closing her eyes, she whispered, "Enter."

~*x*~

Sky opened her eyes, finding herself surrounded by emptiness, a blank gray space. Her clothes were gone, her skin shimmering with a soft silver glow. She smiled at the lack of blackness marring her skin; the curse mark had not yet reached her spirit. A small, soft cry echoed through the empty space; Sky began to make her way to the sound. She soon came across Hana's huddled form and knelt down next to her. "Hey, Hana." She said softly.

Hana jerked up, her expression one of surprise. "Sky…"

"You need to wake up, Hana."

Hana frowned, her eyes dull. "But I don't want to."

Sky sighed. "You have to."

"But I'm so tired."

Sky looked at Hana, taking in her dull eyes and the large bags underneath them, the pale, pasty color of her skin. Hana was fading, and Sky knew soon the older girl would be beyond her reach. "You can sleep in a little bit," she said gently, her voice soothing, "But your family is waiting for you." Hana didn't answer. "You need to wake up and let them know you're okay. They need you." She said softly.

"I don't want to, Sky."

"What about Kiba? Who's going to watch over him?"

Hana shrugged. "He's got Akamaru."

"He's just as young as Kiba." Sky countered.

"Then he has you."

Sky stopped. She was silent for a moment, her eyes sadly watching Hana's tired form. "Hana." The change in her tone, the new urgency in it, made the young woman face her. "I need you to for back for Kiba. He needs you."

Hana stared up at Sky, staring at the pained, grieving shine in them, as if she was close to tears. "What about you?" she asked, suddenly wary of the answer.

Sky smiled sadly. "I'm going to disappear soon. I need you to wake up so you can watch over him and keep him safe when I'm gone."

Hana's eyebrows furrowed. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere…far away."

"Will you come back."

Sky closed her eyes and shook her head, fighting back the tears that wanted to spill over. "No," she said softly, "I won't be able to. So, please, will you wake up?"

Hana was silent a moment. Slowly, she nodded. "Alright."

Sky gave her a thankful smile and offered Hana her hand. Hana took it, smiling.

"Exit." Sky whispered.

~*x*~

Sky opened her eyes and slowly pulled her hands away from Hana's face.

"Sky, what did you do?"

Kiba had come to stand next to her while she was in her trance, his worried eyes searching hers for some kind of answer. Sky looked up at him, but didn't respond, choosing to turn back to Hana instead. She leaned closer to the sleeping woman.

"Sky?" Tsume asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Akamaru whimpered. Sky ignored them.

"You can wake up now, Hana." She whispered.

Hana's eyelids fluttered and, slowly, she opened them. Sky smiled down at her surrogate sister and smiled, removing her oxygen mask and stepping away from the bed.

"Hey, guys." Hana whispered weakly.

Kiba and Tsume stared, shocked, Akamaru's joyful bark snapping them out of their stupor. Tsume embraced her daughter and Kiba reached up to his face to wipe away new tears. Sky quietly retreated from the room, letting the family have a moment alone. She leaned her back against the door after closing it, her gaze locked on the floor as she lost herself to her thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hola peoples! This chapter is for SakuraTenshi36092. Thanks for the awesome review! ^^**

**Disclaimer: ...yeah, no.**

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><p>Hana was released the next day, Kiba, Akamaru, and Tsume having gone to pick her up. Sky stood alone in her room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. With the exception of her bra and underwear, she was naked. Her expression was blank as her eyes trailed over the black marring her skin. Her mark originated from the small circle right above her left hip; the tentacle-like strings that branched off it, waving in and out of her skin, had completely covered her left arm and leg. Her right leg had been covered to her knee. Her stomach and most of her back were covered, the mark having worked its way across her chest to reach her right shoulder. In the center of her chest, the mark coiled like a snake lying right over her still-beating heart. Over the past week, the mark had curved up; covering her neck, to reach her chin. Her honey eyes were dull as she traced the circle on her hip lightly with her finger tip. A knock on the door snapped her back to reality.<p>

"Sky? You in there? It's me. Hana and Mom are in the kitchen. You gonna come down?"

Sky hummed, but didn't respond.

"Sky?"

Again, she stayed silent.

"I'm coming in."

Kiba opened the door and, under normal circumstances, would have probably immediately blushed at seeing Sky in her underwear. But these were not normal circumstances. Sky turned to look at him over her shoulder, her face expressionless.

"Sky, when…" Kiba choked on the words in his throat, his eyes wide in shock.

Sky gave him a small, sad smile. Sure, Kiba knew about the mark, but this was the first time he had seen the extent at which it covered her body. Kiba walked up behind her as she turned back to the mirror, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her bare shoulder. Sky reached up and slowly stroked his hair.

"I'm fine." She whispered.

"No, you're not." He said, realizing she was shaking. "You know something." He said, gently forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I shortened my time yesterday." She said softly, tearing her eyes away from his.

Kiba's arms loosened around her. "What?"

Before Sky could respond, she felt a painful pulsing in her hip. She clutched her side as her knees gave out, falling to the floor and curling into a ball. Her body was racked with pain, feeling as if it were being slowly ripped apart. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood to keep herself from screaming.

"Sky!" Kiba knelt by her side, scooping her up and cradling her in his arms. He wiped away the blood dripping down her chin and held her close, trying to sooth her pain.

"I…used a…a jutsu…to save Hana." She managed to gasp out. "I…probably…cut my time in…in half."

He felt her entire body tense and she whimpered as the mark slowly crept along her bare skin. She gripped Kiba's arms tightly, making him wince, but he didn't make a sound; he merely held her tighter. She curled into him, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she buried her face in his chest, releasing an agonized scream that was muffled by his body. Kiba squeezed his eyes shut as he held her to him, furious that he couldn't take away her pain.

After a few minutes, the pulsing stopped. Slowly, Sky relaxed, uncurling her body slightly as she lay limply in Kiba's arms, her breath coming in heavy gasps. Silently, Kiba let his eyes wander over her body, frowning at what he saw. The mark now covered all of her right leg and most of her arm, as well as her left cheek. He heard footsteps running up the stairs, but paid no mind as he looked at Sky's face. Her eyes her were closed, her expression tight as she struggled to adjust to the amount of pain she was in. He reached up and cupped her cheek, gently wiping away her tears. Had the situation not been so serious, he might have smiled when Sky turned into his touch.

"Kiba, what the hell is going on? Akamaru won't stop barking!" Tsume stormed into Sky's room, Hana and Akamaru right on her heels. Kiba kept his back to her, ignoring her completely. "Kiba, don't you ignore me! Why are you in Sky's room?" Tsume walked around to Kiba's front. She froze, her words dying on her lips. Kiba held a half-conscious Sky to him, his eyes focusing on her, and only her. Hana and Akamaru followed Tsume in, Hana, coming to stand by her mother, gasped at what she saw. Akamaru whimpered and licked Sky's limp hand. She stirred and opened her eyes, the honey orbs hazy with pain.

"…Kiba…?" Her voice was soft, weak; and even still, it sounded like such an effort for her to simply utter his name.

Kiba tightened his grip on her. "I'm right here." He said, his voice threatening to break.

She raised her hand to his chest, curling her fingers into his jacket. "That hurt…more than usual." She laughed weakly, as if it was some kind of joke that only she was in on. "I don't think I'll be walking for a while."

"If you knew this would happen, why the hell did you use your jutsu?" Kiba asked hoarsely. Sky smiled up at him, then turned to look at Hana. "You need someone to watch over you, silly."

Hana knelt down next to her. "Is this what you were talking about when you woke me up?" Sky nodded. "What did you mean when you said you would disappear?" Silence. Sky didn't answer. Kiba gripped her tightly, like he would lose her if he let her go. He bowed his head, his bangs draping in front of his eyes.

"She's dying." Kiba said.

Tsume and Hana's eyes widened as Sky just stared blankly at the ceiling. "When…"

"Later." Sky said to Tsume. "Kiba, help me dress. I need to see Tsunade-sama." Kiba lifted her up and placed her on the bed. She leaned against the headboard while Kiba grabbed her clothes. Tsume recovered from her shock and snatched the clothes from her son. "Oh no. You aren't dressing her." Kiba blushed as his mom walked over to Sky. "I'll dress her. You stay over there."

Tsume quickly dressed the girl and helped her off the bed. When she tried to stand, her knees buckled and she fell. Akamaru rushed forward and caught her. She pet his head. "Thanks boy."

Kiba scooped her up and the five quickly left the house.

~*x*~

Kiba jumped from rooftop to rooftop, Akamaru, Hana, and Tsume hot on his trail.

"Kiba!"

Kiba looked down and saw Naruto waving up at him. He was going to ignore him, but he saw Sakura standing next to him. He jumped down. "Sakura! Where's Tsunade-sama?"

"She's assigning missions. Why? What's…" she trailed off, seeing Sky laying limply in his arms, eyes half-closed, face uncovered. Sakura instantly went into medic-mode. "Naruto." The blond ninja pulled his eyes away from Sky's face. "Get Tsunade-shishou. Now. Meet us at the hospital, in the private wing."

Naruto nodded and ran off, while Sakura led the others to the hospital. He led them to a room in the back of the wing, away from the main stream of traffic. As Kiba lay her down on the bed in the room, Sky stirred and opened her eyes.

"Sakura…"

"Shhh," the pink haired ninja soothed, "Just relax, Sky. Naruto went to get Tsunade-shishou; she'll be here soon. Try to sleep."

Sky nodded and closed her eyes again. Sakura pulled off the sleeping girl's shirt and pressed her hands to Sky's side, a pale green glow surrounding them. Kiba, Akamaru, Hana, and Tsume stood against the wall, watching Sakura work.

Tsume turned to her son. "I think you have some explaining to do, Kiba."

Kiba frowned. "About what, specifically?"

Tsume growled. "What do you think? Where the hell did that mark come from?"

"Orochimaru." Tsume and Hana froze. "She went on an S-rank mission involving him. She's had it for three years now…her time is running out," he said quietly, staring at Sky's still form.

Hana released a breath. "So that's what she meant." Tsume and Kiba turned to her. "When I was in a coma, she told me I had to come back because she was going to disappear soon." She turned to Kiba. "She wanted me to watch over you." Kiba's eyes widened as he looked back at Sky.

At that moment, Tsunade and Shizune walked in. Tsunade took over for Sakura and began her examination. When she finished, she frowned. Kiba stepped forward.

"Tsunade-sama, how much time does she have left?" Tsunade turned to him. "She used a jutsu; she thinks she cut her time in half"

Tsunade sighed. "Well she'd be right. I'd say she has about a month." Her frown deepened. "The mark is like and infection of her chakra; like a virus that infects the blood. She doesn't have enough chakra to fight of the infection."

"Can't we just give her some of ours? Like a blood transfusion?" Tsume asked.

Tsunade shook her head. "It's not that simple. If her body rejects the chakra, the mark will most likely drain what little amount remains in her body, killing her. We need to be sure her body will accept the chakra."

"Damnit, Sai! You can't come!"

"Why not? Friends are supposed to visit each other in the hospital, are they not?"

"That's not the point!"

Tsunade stalked over to the door and threw it open, revealing a frustrated Naruto, a confused Sai, and a silent Sasuke. "Will you two shut up!" she seethed, the two stopped talking instantly. "This is a hospital, not a playground!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, what are you doing?"

"Naruto told us Sky was here," Saskue said.

Tsunade nodded. "She is."

"Can we see her?"

"You and Naruto can. But Sai…"

"He can come in."

Sky's soft voice drifted over to them. Tsunade looked over her shoulder to see Sky sitting up in bed, Kiba holding one of her arms to support her, Sakura holding the other. "It's okay," she said, "I could only hide it for so long. It doesn't make sense to do it anymore."

Tsunade sighed, turning back to the boys, her expression softening. "Just to warn you, she doesn't have much time left."

Naruto and Saskue nodded solemnly while Sai cocked his head to the side in confusion. Tsunade stepped aside and let them enter the room. Sky still wasn't wearing a shirt, meaning her mark was still visible. Sai's eyes widened slightly in shock. Sky smiled at them.

"Hey guys." Saskue and Naruto sat on either side of her, while Sai stood next to Sakura. "Sorry to worry you," she said somewhat sheepishly.

Naruto placed his hand on her knee. "When did it get this bad?" he asked sadly.

Sky shook her head. "It's been this way for a while." Her body started shaking and she slumped forward when she couldn't hold herself up anymore. Kiba gently drew her back to lean against his chest. "But I used a jutsu to keep Hana from dying the other day."

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked.

"It means she made it worse by using chakra, idiot," Saskue said hotly.

Sky nodded. "I was retired from missions because using chakra made the mark spread faster." She sighed. "I'll probably be bedridden for a week. The effects were a lot stronger than normal."

"So…what's gonna happen now?" Naruto asked slowly.

Sky smiled sadly. "I'm going to enjoy the time I have left."

Tsunade gave an unlady-like snort. "Well I'll be damned if you give up so easily. Shizune!"

"Yes, ma'm!"

"Get all the files we have on this case and bring them to my office!" Shizune nodded and ran out of the room. Tsunade shot a look at Sky. "Don't you dare die on me. If you do, there'll be hell to pay." With that, she left the room.

Sky chuckled. "Well, looks like I've got a chance."

Sakura nodded. "And a pretty good one at that. We just need to figure out a way to get a chakra transfusion safely into your body."

Sky gripped one of Kiba's hands. "Why do I have a feeling that will be the hard part?"

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><p><strong>Sorry about the late update. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. The next chapter should be up be next Friday.<strong>

**~ Angel**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, everyone.  
><strong>

**I apologies, I have no excuses for how late this chapter is. Naruto is not the fandom at the forefront of my mind right now and is therefore a little more difficult to write. I have some of it written out on paper though, so I'll try to be quicker with the next update.  
><strong>

**Disclaimers: Neji would still be alive so no.**

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><p>Sky sat up in her hospital bed, staring blankly out the window, lost in thought. Her clothes had been discarded and replaced with a pair of scrubs. Without her mask and long sleeves, her mark was clearly visible, the black lines easily seen against her pale, ivory skin.<p>

A knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she called without turning away from the window.

Sakura walked into the room, followed closely by Ino, Hinata, and Tenten. The pink haired girl walked over to the bed and laid a hand on Sky's shoulder.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

Sky tore her eyes away from the window, turning to face her friend. She saw the three girls behind Sakura stiffen at the sight of her mark, saw the horror that briefly crossed their eyes before they managed to hide it. She smiled sadly. "I'm as well as I can be," she answered softly. She peered around the medical ninja and smiled at the other girls. "Hey guys."

Ino walked forward and placed the flowers Sky just noticed she was carrying into a vase on the table next to the bed. Sky smiled when she saw what they were. Three white roses. Ino grinned at her smile. "I know they're your favorite," she said.

"Thanks, Ino," Sky said.

When Sky turned to the other girls, she saw that Hinata had activated her Byakugan.

"How do I look?" she asked the timid girl, already knowing the answer.

Hinata shook her head, a look of surprise on her face. "You have next to nothing left in terms of chakra."

Sky just shrugged, this wasn't news to her. "No surprise there."

Tenten placed her hands on her hips, a look of realization crossing her face. "So this is why you've been training with Lee," she said.

Sky nodded. "Lee's training is completely focused on taijutsu. It's all physical and doesn't require a single drop of chakra."

Tenten's jaw dropped. "You mean you kept up with him without using _any_ chakra?"

Sky blinked. "Uhhh…yes?" she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

Tenten just stared at her, as did the other girls. Sky couldn't help but laugh at their expressions. Her laugh caused the atmosphere shift, the tension finally lifting. The girls all crowded onto her bed and they hung out, doing nothing but talk and gossip like friends.

"By the way, where's Kiba?" Sky asked after an hour or two. She had been in the hospital for about five days now and Kiba had visited every single one of those days. Except today.

Sakura grinned. "I told him he wasn't allowed," she announced smugly, "Today is girls only!"

Ino clapped her hands together and smirked mischievously. "Speaking of Dog-boy," she said, "Now we can get down to business."

"What kind of business?" Sky asked warily. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like where this was going.

Sakura and Ino grinned. "Boys!" they exclaimed in unison.

"More specifically," Tenten continued, pointing a finger at Sky with a knowing gleam in her eyes, "Boys and you."

"Me?" Sky asked, looking to Hinata for help. The shy girl just grinned timidly and shrugged.

"Yup!" Ino chirped, "We all know you have a crush."

"On someone you've known since you were little," Sakura said.

"Who loves dogs," Tenten added.

"And who happens to be on my squad," Hinata finished softly.

Sky blushed and looked away from them, refusing to make eye contact as she fidgeted with her sheets.

"Are we getting warm?" Ino asked with a smirk.

"Uh…I really…don't know what you're talking about…" Sky tried to deny. Her friends just stared at her. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yes," they all said.

"To us at least," Tenten said.

Sakura nodded. "Boys are notoriously stupid when it come to this kind of thing."

"They never notice," Hinata mumbled in agreement, "Or, if they do, it takes them a _very_ long time."

Sky sighed. "I don't really think that's the issue here, guys."

"Eh? Why not?" Ino asked, "You like him don't you?"

"Well, yeah," Sky said.

"So go tell him!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Well Kiba's not here at the moment and I can't exactly go find him," Sky drawled. Tenten rolled her eyes. "Also, I don't think it's such a good idea," she finished softly.

"Why?" Hinata asked. "I know that he likes you back, we all do."

"It's not that," Sky said, shaking her head, "I know he wouldn't reject me. But that's the problem. If I confess, wouldn't that just make it hurt that much more when my time finally ran out?"

The girls fell silent, finally understanding Sky's problem.

"But wouldn't you regret not telling him more?" Sakura asked quietly.

Sky stared at her hands, tightly gripping the sheets as tears started to stream down her cheeks. "Yes," she choked out, "I would."

"Well that settles it then," Tenten said and Hinata grinned.

"Before the month's up, you're going to tell him!" Ino cheered.

Sky couldn't help but laugh at her friends.


End file.
